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- Ελληνικά
The President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr.Nicos Christodoulides, participated yesterday in the proceedings of the International Conference on Migration and Development, held in Rome, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Italy, Mrs.Giorgia Meloni.
The Conference was attended by Mediterranean EU Member States, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and African countries, European institutions, the UN and other international organisations and international financial institutions.
In his intervention during the Conference, the President of the Republic said, among other things, that our countries are facing, especially in recent years, the huge and growing challenge of migratory flows, which has an impact on various sectors in our countries, such as the economy. It is clear that we need to do more to address the migration crisis and this needs to be done in cooperation and coordination.
Regarding Cyprus, President Christodoulides said that migration is seen as one of the "issues that the country is called upon to manage. Over the last six years, Cyprus has consistently been the EU member state with the largest number of asylum seekers seeking international protection in terms of population. The percentage of applicants and beneficiaries of international protection in Cyprus exceeds 55 thousand people, a figure that corresponds to 6% of the country's population.
He added that over the last three years the increasing irregular arrivals by sea, as well as by land via the Green Line, are alarming, noting that more than 98% of irregular arrivals are made via the occupied areas of the Republic, where the government cannot exercise control.
Consequently, the President of the Republic said, the migration issue and all the issues stemming from these intense migratory pressures are a very serious issue for Cyprus and the Government has significant resources, including with the support of the EU, in its efforts to manage the situation.
He also pointed out that our countries are called upon to effectively manage irregular migration flows, while ensuring access to international protection for those who really need it. Without a doubt, our actions must be people-centred and our goal must be primarily to address the root causes of irregular migration.
He also stressed that it is essential to implement a comprehensive, coordinated and integrated approach to address this issue, involving close and sincere cooperation between the countries affected, as well as regional and international organisations.
The President of the Republic also said that Cyprus is in favour of providing assistance to countries that have demonstrated that they are reliable partners, such as Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, which have borne a huge burden in terms of migration.
These countries should be given the means to respond to the challenges of irregular migration, he added, noting that Egypt has made efforts to prevent irregular migration to EU countries and hosts a huge number of refugees, while Lebanon has hosted, for longer than any other state, the largest number of Syrian refugees compared to its population, despite the political and economic crisis it is facing, as has Jordan, which needs immediate support.
Finally, the President of the Republic referred to the importance of respecting the national sovereignty of countries, and the shared responsibility, solidarity and cooperation that must exist between partners aiming at mutually beneficial results.
(RM/NG/EXP)
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